Before it's too late
by newhpwriter86
Summary: As a small boy, Harry is abused. As he grows up, he begins to grow bitter. Because no one knows what is happening to him until he is eleven, he is an angry child at Hogwarts. Will the teachers be able to help him? Dark Harry for a while, but changes.
1. Introduction

A/N: This is just an introductory chapter... so it's not long. I am currently working on the second chapter. Don't know when it will be up because I work midnights. It will be longer though.

Perhaps if she'd known what she could unleash into the world, she would have been kinder. Maybe she would have told her husband to lay off on him. As it was, she closed her eyes to the abuse, and pretended that her little nephew didn't exist when she could. She left all the discipline to Vernon when it came to both boys. Her son got all of her love, while the other boy didn't.

Petunia Dursley hated to think about the world her nephew belonged to. It was a world in her opinion that shouldn't exist, but at the same time, she was jealous… not that she would ever admit to it. Instead, she made sure her life was normal, and anything that could change that would be ignored, including little Harry Potter.

He came to them as a baby, dropped off on their doorstep by people who didn't want the responsibility. At least that's what she believed. They didn't seem to care that she already had a young son, and that one toddler was enough trouble. Instead, they had to give her one that would be an even bigger burden. And yet, even though she didn't want him, she couldn't throw him to the wolves. So he stayed.

"You let me handle the discipline," Vernon told her. "I'll make sure he never does anything freakish."

She agreed, and pretended that when her husband beat the boy, even when he wasn't bad, that it was a good thing. She never said a word when Vernon abused Harry, even if he was just colouring. In her mind, he probably did deserve it.

The Dursley's tried their best to leave their nephew at home during family trips. Usually one of their neighbours agreed to take him, but then there were the times when they had to bring him. Those were the times that bothered Vernon the most. Those were the times when Harry would pay the most, and yet there were rarely any visible bruises on the boy. No one knew what was happening to him. The man was very good at keeping the abuse secret.

Yet, if anyone looked closely, they would see that the small boy was depressed. All they had to do was look into his eyes, and they would see that something was very wrong. But no one ever did. Because of that, there was a chance that something dangerous could be released into the world. Something that Petunia who knew tidbits about the world she ignored would know about, if she just paid attention.


	2. The Trip

A/N: This is going to be a Harry Potter abuse story yes. However, I am not going to write any abuse scenes. The first few chapters will be through Petunia's point of view. She'll notice bruises, or she'll hear Harry crying or screaming… but all the abuse will be written off scene. I won't be going to Harry's point of view until he is ten or so. And I'll make reference to the abuse, but I won't be writing the abuse. I can't do that. You'll mostly just know how unhappy and bitter Harry is when I get to his point of view. Hope that clears things up.

* * *

Although the first five years of Harry Potter's life with the Dursley's were unhappy ones, he still had moments where he laughed or smiled. Usually this happened at school, but there were times when he was content at home as well. However, that changed the summer he turned six, when his relatives were forced to take him with them on a week long vacation… After that, the sound of his laughter was rarely heard.

It was a beautiful summer evening, when Petunia Dursley announced the bad news to Vernon.

"I haven't been able to find anyone to take _him_," she said over supper. "Either they're on vacation, or no one wants the responsibility of watching him for a week."

The last part wasn't true. Most people didn't mind watching Harry, (although there was one person who was an exception to that) it was just most couldn't take him at the last minute. Vernon had won a week long trip to visit an amusement part only a few days before. It had been through a draw at Grunnings, where he worked.

"No one at all?" Vernon asked with anger and disbelief on his face which had turned its characteristic purple.

"Nobody can take him," Petunia confirmed.

The large man turned to glare at his small nephew, who was picking at his food. As if sensing his uncle's anger, the boy looked up with fear.

"You did this on purpose didn't you?" Vernon demanded. "You wanted to come on this trip, so you did something to make it so no one could take you."

Harry stared back at his uncle with a shocked expression on his face. By that point, neither he nor the Dursley's son Dudley had any idea about the trip. Vernon had only found out he'd won. They had planned to surprise their son with the news later, and their nephew rarely knew what was going on.

"Well you won't be enjoying the trip, I can tell you that much! Go to your cupboard, I'll deal with you later!"

Petunia knew that the boy was going to be punished, and she also knew there was no reason for it. However, she did as she usually did and ignored Harry. Instead, she turned to her son to see if he wanted more supper. If she was good at ignoring the abuse of her nephew, she was certainly good at ignoring the fact that her son was too overweight for his age.

"More sausage Dudder's?" She asked as Harry left the kitchen, silently crying.

* * *

  
Harry had to help Petunia around the house as a way to earn his keep. So when supper was over, and after Vernon had punished him, he entered the kitchen sniffling. In the summers, the bruises were usually visible on the boy since the Dursley's could hide him in the house if need be. So it wasn't a surprise that he had a bloody lip, there was also a red hand mark on his right cheek.

"What are you crying about now? You pathetic child!" Petunia snapped at him as he pushed a chair over to the counter.

It was Harry's duty to help dry the dishes after every meal. The small boy froze and then turned to stare up at her. His green eyes were glistening with tears, but there was also anger in them. He would never dare glare at his uncle, but for some reason he wasn't frightened of her. Perhaps it was because she refused to hit the boys. She would never hurt her precious Dudder's, but she couldn't bring herself to hitting her nephew when he was still so little. She left all that to her husband.

Petunia stared back at Harry feeling a little nervous. She knew he would never do anything to her on purpose, however she knew _his_ kind. She knew that they could do the strange powers unintentionally, and they could harm people if they were angry. She'd been on the receiving end of an angry freak when she was a little girl.

Harry however just shook his head and continued to push the chair to the counter. He struggled to climb on to the chair. The boy was unusually small for his age. Most of the children in his class were at least a head taller than him. He looked even smaller than he really was because he had to wear Dudley's clothes. His cousin was twice the size of a normal six-year-old boy.

"Well, Marge won't take him either."

Petunia turned from the sink to look at her husband who had just entered the kitchen.

"Just got off the phone with her. She's worried he may harm her dogs," Vernon said. "We could just leave him here."

In the past, they had left the boy home alone on weekends. However, Petunia didn't feel comfortable with locking him up for a week. He would need to use the bathroom first of all. Usually Vernon left a pail in the cupboard with him, but she didn't want to think about the state of the pail after a week. There was also the fact that he needed something to drink. She knew he was used to going a week without food, but a pitcher of water likely wouldn't last him a week. They normally left him some when they left. _He's probably too stupid to make it last a week…_she told herself.

"We can't leave him alone for a week," she said. "Anyway, I never feel comfortable leaving him alone in the house. I don't want to find our house blown up or something…"

At this statement, her nephew sent her another glare. She glared back at him. He would never understand the meaning of that statement.

Vernon let out a loud sigh.

"I suppose he'll have to come with us," he said.

He fixed his nephew with a beady eye, his face turning purple as he scowled at the small boy who flinched. Petunia turned away and began to wash the dishes.

"Now listen here boy, we are going to an amusement park, but you will not be going on any of the rides. You will not play any of the games… you are coming with us, but you are not going to have any fun. So your plan didn't work, understand? I _know_ you planned for this to happen…"

"Yes Uncle Vernon," Harry answered in a depressed voice.

"Good, we are leaving this weekend, but as punishment you'll be locked in the cupboard until then. You'll only be let out a few times day to use the loo or to do your chores. You will not have any meals except some water. Understand?"

"Yes Uncle Vernon," Harry repeated, but this time in a broken voice.

Petunia didn't turn to look, but she heard her husband leave the kitchen. As soon as he was gone, her nephew let out a sob. This time she decided to leave him be.

* * *

  
A few days later, the Dursley's had arrived at the hotel they were staying at. Petunia was busy unpacking while Vernon surveyed the room. Grunning's had found them a nice room. It had two beds, a couch and chair with a television set, and a large bathroom.

"We'll take this bed," Vernon told Petunia as he looked at the beds, and then he turned to Dudley who had spotted a chocolate piece on a pillow of the other bed. He had quickly scampered onto the bed to retrieve it. "You like that bed Dudder's?"

Dudley just shrugged as he opened the wrapper and popped the chocolate into his mouth.

"The boy can sleep on the couch," Petunia said as she looked up from their suitcases.

Vernon however shook his head.

"He can sleep on the floor," he answered. "He's still being punished for pulling this little stunt."

Harry who had been staring at the couch turned to stare at his uncle; he turned away quickly and began to sniffle. Petunia watched as he stiffened his shoulders, and then turned back to them. He looked up at his uncle and gave a small nod, before he sat down on the floor.

Petunia had to give the boy credit at times. Vernon didn't like when the boy cried, and usually would hit him when he did. Harry seemed to have learned how to control his emotions around his uncle, though he was very young. There were times (such as at the moment) when he would be ready to cry, but automatically he would be able to stop.

Turning away from him, she looked at her husband.

"So what else is there to do for us? The rides will be fun for Dudley, but he won't be able to go on all of them," she said.

"There is a daycare centre there as well," Vernon told her. "We'll take him around on the rides he wants to go on, but then we'll leave the boys there when we want to do something for ourselves. Of course we won't be going to the park everyday. We'll do some sightseeing as well."

The amusement park was located in a part of England that the Dursley's had never traveled to before. So they wanted to make the most of the trip. The amusement park was just an added bonus for Dudley to enjoy. Though neither Petunia nor Vernon were really into rides, there were activities and games for adults as well.

"What will we do with the boy when we go to other places?" Petunia asked.

She knew Vernon wouldn't want to waste any expense on him. Her husband had done some research on the area. There were some places he wanted to visit, but it would cost money for them to enter.

"He can wait in the car," he answered.

He turned to Harry who was staring at the television set from his position on the floor.

"We'll bring along a blanket as well. He can lay on the floor with the blanket covering him. He's small enough," Vernon said this loud enough to make sure that Harry heard. "And if he doesn't, and someone sees him… well, a young man is going to have a very sore bottom."

Harry looked away from the television to stare at his uncle.

"I'll be a good boy, I promise," he answered. "I won't let no one see me."

Perhaps it was because he'd already had a spanking before they arrived, because the boy rarely made promises. He usually just nodded his head, or agreed. This time however, Harry was staring at Vernon with a look of complete terror on his face. He let out a sniffle before he turned back to look at the telly. Petunia wondered why the child was such a wimp at times. He wasn't going to get far in life if he continued to be scared of everyone.

"Well, shall we check out this amusement park?" Vernon asked.

* * *

  
Petunia and Vernon debated on whether or not they would leave Harry in the car when they arrived. However, after looking at how crowded the parking lot was, they decided it would be better to take him in with them. There were far too many people around to pull off leaving him alone.

Petunia was automatically annoyed with the boy though. Once they were inside, he stared at everything with eagerness. It was as if he'd never seen any of it before. He had stopped in his tracks just to watch a roller coaster, and his mouth dropped open.

"Stop staring at everything like a goon," Petunia snapped at him.

"I wanna go on the Merry-go-round!" Dudley shouted, and he pointed at the horses ahead of them.

Dudley was allowed to go on as many rides he wanted (as long as he met the height requirement) because he had a stamp on his hand. It was only mid-afternoon, so Petunia and Vernon figured he could go on all the children's rides that day, and it would take them into the evening. So they had no objection to him running over to where there was a small line up.

Neither of them expected Harry to do what he did next however. As they waited in line, Petunia noticed the boy staring at the horses with a look of longing on his face. He too had a stamp on his hand, even though they weren't going to let him in. They had decided it would look suspicious if they hadn't let him get one when they all had their hands stamped. When it was time for Dudley to enter, the boy hurried up beside him. When the ride attendant opened the gate to let people in, Harry suddenly dodged past Dudley and ran over to the ride.

"What the ruddy hell?" Vernon asked. "That boy…"

Petunia was shocked. Of course she'd seen him step up beside her son, but she hadn't expected him to go in as well. He had never once in his life pulled that kind of stunt. She watched as he chose a horse and climbed onto it. There was a look of pure delight on his face as he wrapped his small hands around the pole.

"I can't believe he just did that," Vernon muttered. "Why would he do that? He knows better."

Petunia shrugged.

"What is the harm in letting him on the rides Vernon?" She asked in a whisper, she'd noticed an older couple watching them curiously.

"The harm?" Vernon snapped back. "He disobeyed, and if we allow him to go on more rides, he'll think he can do it again!"

"So punish him later, but really Vernon…" Petunia shook her head. "People might wonder why we aren't letting him on any of the rides."

She didn't want to admit it to her husband, but for some reason she felt a little guilty as she watched her nephews face. The ride was going now, and he was squealing with excitement as it went. Though he was six-years-old, he was clapping his hands and laughing as if he were two. The ride couldn't have been that exciting, and yet when he screamed, it was out of pure delight. She knew that he likely wouldn't have that much fun again, so she wanted to let it go.

Vernon however was furious about it.

"Look at him," he hissed. "People are going to think he is deprived. Do you see any of the other children acting that way?"

No, she didn't see anyone else acting that way. Most of the children were laughing, but not in the way Harry was. The older couple was still watching them. They were looking from the boy, to Petunia and Vernon. Suddenly, the woman walked over to them with a smile on her face.

"Is that dear little boy yours?" She asked.

"He's our nephew," Vernon grunted. "Why?"

"Well, it's just I couldn't help but overhearing. Why were you so upset when he went on the ride?" She asked.

Petunia thought she had some nerve to ask. She glared at the woman, while Vernon cleared his voice.

"I don't see why that is any of your business ma'am," he said. "If you must know, the boy is being punished. He was naughty earlier, so we told him no rides today. He disobeyed and went on anyways."

"Well, you know, boys will be boys," the woman said.

The annoyed look on Vernon's face must have gotten to her though. She turned and walked off a moment later after bidding good-bye. It made Petunia wonder exactly how much she had overheard. Especially when she and her husband began whispering together while they stared at Harry. Once and a while, they would glance back over at Vernon.

"Nosy people can't keep out of other people's business," Vernon said. "That boy is going to get it later tonight."

"Shh," Petunia said.

As the ride stopped, and the boys came walking over towards them, Petunia realized why they were so suspicious. She hadn't noticed it before, perhaps it was because she had gotten used to seeing bruises on Harry lately. It was the summer after all. She was angry with herself for not paying more attention. However, it was something she rarely looked at in the summers. Harry's arms were covered in bruises and cuts. He had a fading black eye, and his lip was fat again.

"Vernon?" She whispered. "Did you slap him across the face again?"

"He didn't make my breakfast right this morning," Vernon answered. "He didn't seem to understand that we had to leave quickly to get here early. You were still getting Dudley ready. The boy really is stupid."

"Well it looks suspicious. I knew about his eye, but I didn't think anyone would care since it's almost gone. He has bruises all over his arms, and now with his fat lip… well people are going to think we abuse him," Petunia muttered back.

She really wished that Vernon would stop leaving marks on the boy. He was really good at keep it secret during the school year; however there were times when he slipped. The last thing she needed was for people to start asking questions about the boy. So far until that moment, people didn't notice… and she wanted to leave it that way. Thankfully, the older couple walked off when a little girl ran over to them.

"That was fun mummy!" Dudley said as he ran over. "Harry had fun too!"

Harry had followed at a slower pace. He was now staring up at Petunia and Vernon with a look of defiance on his face. He stopped in his tracks and stared at them, as if waiting for a scolding. Petunia took back what she had thought earlier about the boy being a wimp. He was actually very brave to have defied them.

Vernon seemed to sense the challenge.

"Petunia, I am going to take the boy for a walk, we'll be back," Vernon said.

"You can't beat him," Petunia hissed. "No more beatings until we get home."

She looked around quickly, but no one was paying attention to them anymore.

"Oh, don't worry," Vernon said as his eyes rested on Harry. He was smirking as he stared at the boy's defiant face. "I just plan to have a talk with him. Take Dudley to the next ride. We shouldn't be long."

Petunia wasn't sure what to think of that, but she nodded. After Harry and Vernon were gone, she took Dudley over to a kiddies roller coaster. They didn't return for a while.

"Did you hit him?" Petunia asked when she saw Harry's tear streaked face.

"I just had a talk with him," Vernon said. "We had a long talk and I don't think he'll disobey us again. I think the talk had a better effect on him than a beating anyways."

Harry's eyes were bloodshot, and he had a look of complete depression on his face. He was staring at a couple who were hugging their small son. As he watched, his eyes welled up with tears and his shoulders slumped forward. Suddenly, he collapsed to the ground because he was sobbing hard.

"What did you _say_ to him?" Petunia asked as she watched the boy.

"That's between the boy and me," Vernon said. "Don't worry; I didn't give away any secrets."

Perhaps she should have pressed for details. If she had, then maybe she would have told the boy that what her husband told him was a lie. She didn't know that at that moment, Harry would stop caring. She didn't know that from that day forward, he would grow more depressed, and then slowly grow bitter… though the bitterness wouldn't come until a couple of years later. Instead, she scolded the boy for causing a scene.


	3. Growing resentment

A loud sniffling came from behind Petunia, who turned to check. Once again, Harry was crying. She wasn't sure what his problem was, but ever since Vernon had talked to the boy, he cried a lot during the day. Again she had to wonder exactly what it was that her husband had said to the boy. Whatever it was, it had changed him a lot.

She knew that the boy didn't live the same life most children his age did. He was often depressed, but yet there were times when he appeared happy. He was usually content when he was by himself, especially if Vernon wasn't around. There were times when he'd be doing chores, and he would chatter away to himself. Often she had scolded him for talking to himself 'You don't want to appear mad do you?' but she actually hadn't minded. She knew children sometimes talked to themselves.

Lately however, he would start to cry at random times. She hadn't seen him smile in weeks. Usually he walked around with a very sad expression on his face. If she scolded him for it, he would start to cry. In the past, he would have glared at her, but he no longer did.

"You'd better not go around school moping!" She told him now.

He was on his hands and knees cleaning some soda that Dudley had spilled earlier. It had been sitting there a while, so the spot was sticky.

"I don't want the school asking why you are so depressed all the time. It's not natural for a child your age to cry so much. What's your problem anyway? I've never met a six-year-old who so depressing to be around. Just get over it already!"

Although the school hadn't suspected that Harry's life wasn't exactly normal, they did ask questions about him. The teaching staff had noticed he wasn't as happy as the other children were. She'd told them it was because he missed his parents so much. They had all accepted the story so far, but she was worried they wouldn't someday. If the boy continued to act as depressed he had since the trip, they definitely would ask questions.

Harry paused for a moment from trying to scrub at the sticky stain. He stared at her for a moment, but he didn't glare as he would have in the past.

"Did my parents-" he started to say in a trembling voice, but she stopped him before he could finish.

"What have I told you about talking about them?" She snapped.

If there was one thing she didn't want to talk about, it was her sister. She'd told the boy years ago not to talk about his parents.

"Uncle Vernon told me that they-" Harry began but she cut him off.

"What did I just say?" Petunia asked angrily. "I've told you not to ask questions. I also told you to never talk about them. As soon as you're done your chores you can go to your cupboard. You disgust me. And stop being so depressing to be around. I am really tired of hearing you cry. If you continue to do so, I will tell Vernon to give you something to cry about."

The last part of what she said seemed to work. He looked up at her with a look of complete terror on his face, and then he began to scrub at the rest of the soda stain. He was blinking quickly, and screwing his face up. She knew he was trying his best not to cry. She stared at the small boy for a few more moments before she decided to see what the neighbours were up to.

---

Despite Petunia's talk with Harry, when the school year started, he was still depressed. Though he didn't cry as much as he had, he still walked around with a very sad expression on his face. At the end of the boys' first week of school, her nephew came home with a letter from the teacher.

_Dear Mr. and Mrs. Dursley._

_I am very concerned about your nephew. He seems to be very depressed. There are times when he will start to cry when there isn't a reason for it. I've started to watch him more often, and I've noticed it happens when the children talk about their parents, or if a parent shows their child affection. I've looked into his records, and found out about the accident. Although the boy was very young when he lost his parents, I believe he is still really missing them. I think it's crucial at this age that he goes into therapy so he can talk about it. He seems to be very closed off about it. We have a school therapist here, who can talk to him but we'll need to have a meeting with the two of you. I would like for you to come in to discuss Harry please. If you decide not to put him into therapy, I would still prefer it if you come in. I would like to discuss the matter more, because it's not healthy for a child his age to be so depressed. Please get back to me for when it's possible to have a meeting._

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" Vernon shouted after he'd read the note. "We told you to stop carrying on this way. The school is now suspicious. They want to put you into therapy because they believe you are mad!"

Harry stared at his uncle with dull eyes as the man shouted at him. He didn't seem as if he cared. This seemed to make Vernon even angrier. He jumped and hurried around the table to grab the boy, whose eyes grew wide with terror. Petunia watched as her husband pulled her nephew out of the kitchen by his arm. Moments later, she could hear Vernon spanking Harry.

"Harry does cry a lot," Dudley told Petunia as he picked up a forkful of food. "All the time. The other kids think he is weird. My friend Piers Polkiss wants to know why he is a cry baby. I told him cause Harry is a freak. A lot of the kids don't like him. Sometimes Malcolm calls him a cry baby. He is another one of my friends."

"You're very popular aren't you," Petunia crooned. "My Dudder's has so many friends. Don't worry about your cousin, we'll deal with him. Just let us know if the other children give _you _a problem about him."

Dudley nodded, and then he continued to eat. They both ignored the sound of the spanking, which had been going on for a good while. Harry was screaming, which irked Petunia since the windows were open. She was going to have to have a talk with the boy later. She was tired of him making such a commotion when the neighbours could hear. Didn't he care what they would think?

---  
The boy's new teacher Patty Young was a young woman, maybe in her late twenties. She had long brown hair, and a very kind and pretty face. Petunia could understand why Dudley had taken to her so well. She looked as if she were the type of person who would get down and play with the children. She greeted the Dursley with a smile.

"Good afternoon, thank you for coming in," she said.

She pointed to her desk, where two chairs were placed in the front.

"Have a seat please," she continued.

It was after school hours, so all the children were gone except Harry and Dudley. Petunia turned to the boys and told them to go play. She turned back to the teachers desk and sat down.

"So, the b- Harry has been causing a lot of problems has he?" Vernon asked as he sat down.

"Oh no," Patty said as she went around the desk to sit down as well. "He is a very good boy. He does all of his assignments. When the children have quiet play, he behaves. He seems to enjoy school, and does participate in most of the activities… it's just he's depressed as well. It usually happens when he sees parents affectionate around their children. There are also other times when he thinks no one is watching when he cries. I've noticed he always hides to do it, so I don't think he wants anyone to know about it."

Again Petunia had to wonder exactly what Vernon had said to Harry. She knew the reason he was so depressed was because of it. Had he said something about the child's parents? She shot a worried look at her husband. _What had he said? _

"Well he doesn't do that at home," Vernon said. "Perhaps it's just he is trying to get attention. He never used to do that at school either."

"Yes, I've spoken to his previous teachers, and they told me that he is usually a delightful child to teach. He still is, but I'm really worried. It's not healthy for a child his age to be so sad, and I don't think he is seeking attention, Mr. Dursley. Now that he is older, I think he must understand death more than he did before. That is why I would like to arrange for him to talk to the school councellor. She has expertise in that area. Also, it might be good for you to talk to him at home about his parents more often. The more he talks about it, the more it could help," Patty said.

Vernon glanced over his shoulder to where the boys were. Dudley was busy playing with the lego. Harry was sitting at a table, drawing a picture.

"Has he been showing signs of sickness at school?" Vernon asked. "We think he may be catching something-"

Harry suddenly sneezed, and although Patty didn't see it, Petunia did… her husband wore a smirk on his face. The boy sneezed again before he wiped his nose on the back of his hand.

"There, see?" Vernon continued. "He does that at home often. I hope he doesn't get worse."

"I haven't seen anything unusual," Patty said. "I suppose he does sneeze once and a while, but not to often to have me concerned. I certainly hope he isn't getting sick, the poor dear."

"If he does, we'll have to keep him home for a few days. I'd rather him stay at home to get better. Besides, I don't want the other children to catch it," Vernon looked at Petunia at this point. "And we'll keep Dudley away from him."

Petunia knew what Vernon was doing, and she wasn't sure if she liked it. Wouldn't a beating just make him more depressed? She just nodded to agree with him though, before she turned back to Patty.

"I think we'll just talk to him at home about his parents. His mother was my sister after all… in the future if this doesn't work, we'll consider counseling, but for now, I don't think so. It doesn't seem right for a six-year-old to be in therapy. He's not mad, he just misses his parents."

Though her real reasoning had nothing to do with Harry's sanity. She was worried about what he could say to someone about his home life. All they had to do was threaten him at home, and perhaps he would stop crying at school so much. Perhaps it was good for Vernon to beat him after all.

---  
Harry was given the worst beating he'd ever been given that night, and yet there were barely any bruises on him. He was missing one of his front teeth, but Petunia figured that wasn't a big deal. Children his age lost teeth all the time. He had a fat lip, so they would have to wait for the swelling to go down. Vernon decided a few days at home would be enough.

"It will convince that nosy woman that he was sick, and the swelling on his bottom should be gone by then as well."

"I thought you said you would never whip him," Petunia said. She didn't approve of whippings.

"It's the first and last time," Vernon said. "It was only with my belt. I wanted him to realize that he has to stop misbehaving at school."

They had sat down with Harry as well to have a talk with him after his beating. Vernon said the most to him. The boy sat slumped forward at the kitchen table with tears running down his cheeks. He barely lifted his head to look at them while they spoke to him.

"We give you food; we give you shelter; we put clothes on your back, and this is how you repay us," Vernon said angrily to him. "I'll hit you with the belt each time I find out that you've cried at school. I always said I would never do that to you. You've left me no choice. Do you want to cause problems for your cousin? For us? Stop misbehaving or I'll do worse."

Harry nodded.

"What?" Vernon asked.

"Yes Uncle Vernon," Harry said in a shaky watery voice.

"Now apologize to your cousin!" Vernon shouted.

Harry got off the chair and shuffled off to find Dudley. He was still sobbing. Though Petunia and Vernon didn't realize it, the boy would remember this moment for the rest of his life. It was another memory to add to his growing resentment.

---  
A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I am ageing Harry to ten, before his eleventh birthday, so it's going to be through his point of view. Some chapters will still be through Petunia's, but not as much.


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